Hobby Lobby’s religious rights

The Supreme Court has agreed to referee a dispute initiated by Hobby Lobby over the Affordable Care Act, regarding whether businesses can use religious objections to escape a requirement to cover birth control for employees. (Ed Andrieski, Associated Press file)

Dahlia Lithwick and other “progressives” are so far off the mark, it is laughable. They seem to have the impression that they can dictate how a company conducts its business.

Hobby Lobby is not a publicly traded company or government department. It is a privately run enterprise that has the right to decide what benefits it will extend to its employees.

No one has held a gun to the heads of Hobby Lobby employees to stay. Hobby Lobby employees have the right to choose to go someplace else if they are dissatisfied with any aspect of their employment or their benefits, just as Hobby Lobby maintains the right to determine what benefits they will extend to their employees and what days they will be open. The government has no right to dictate that a company provide for non-essential prescription medications.

Duane Merz, Parker

This letter was published in the Dec. 15 edition.

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This isn’t a religulous issue. They are looking for ways to discriminate against workers. Religion is just a bonus to get the hoipolloi writing letters to game the system and to signal Kennedy and Roberts.

Best,

D

peterpi

Hobby Lobby’s chief executives know what’s best for the “little women” in their employ. They’re concerned about the women employees’ souls. Awww …
Hobby Lobby also knows that if they tried this type of stunt with the “little men” in their employ, they’d have a revolt on their hands. So they don’t tell men what to do. Little blue pills, anyone?
But, women? Go for it. Hobby Lobby’s lined up every rightie-tightie social conservative group in their corner. Gotta keep women in their place.
Also, I love how Hobby Lobby has signs saying “We are closed on Sundays so our employees can worship.” Does that include the Jewish, Muslim, and atheist employees? They could just simply say “Closed Sundays”, no one would blink an eye. But that wouldn’t give them a chance to gloat over how special they are.

Robtf777

“We are closed on Sundays so our employees can worship.”

============
The “operative” word seems to be the one you missed.

The word is…..”CAN”……NOT “WILL” or “SHALL.”

They are probably closed on Christmas also……for the same reason: “can”…….regardless of what non-Christians actually do on that day off.

This is exactly right: if a person corporation can withhold benefits because the annoying scold they disagree with what you do in your personal life away from their noblesse oblige workplace, what next?

Slippery slope.

Best,

D

Guest

Do you oppose employee conduct policies at colleges and universities that prohibit employees from belonging to groups or associations that the employer disapproves of or that send the wrong kind of message? (e.g., you can’t belong to a golf club that excludes women, you can’t attend white supremacist meetings, you can’t be a member of the Black Panthers).

Dano2

Are you asking if public employees of entities receiving federal monies – under agreement to uphold and abide by federal laws in exchange for federal funds – should be exempt from federal laws?

Best,

D

guest

no, that’s not what I’m asking. Is it OK for a university or college, public or private, to tell it’s employees that they cannot belong to certain lawful organizations or engage in certain lawful activities, on their own time, if the employer believes those groups or activities are inconsistent with its policies (e.g. groups like those referenced above, discriminatory membership, advocating politically unpopular views, etc.))?

Dano2

Is it OK for a university or college, public or private, to tell it’s
employees that they cannot belong to certain lawful organizations or
engage in certain lawful activities,

I have no idea. Is there a separation of education and state clause in the Constitution, is that what you’re getting at?

Best,

D

Robtf777

“This isn’t a religulous issue.”
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Strange…….considering that many people who oppose Hobby Lobby’s stance do so because they claim that the “religious issue” is subordinate to the “medical/political issue” that Obamacare is all about.

The Executive at Hobby Lobby bases his stance on his religious vales…….the same religious vales that he displays at least once a year in the Denver Post with full page ads.

If he was as ungodly, immoral, unethical, and worldly as you are……he would be as ungodly, unethical, immoral, and worldly as you are……and you and he would be best buds.

But he is not like you…….to his benefit.

Robtf777

“Hobby Lobby is not a publicly traded company or government
department. It is a privately run enterprise that has the right to
decide what benefits it will extend to its employees.

No one has held a gun to the heads of Hobby Lobby employees to stay.
Hobby Lobby employees have the right to choose to go someplace else if
they are dissatisfied with any aspect of their employment or their
benefits, just as Hobby Lobby maintains the right to determine what
benefits they will extend to their employees and what days they will be
open. The government has no right to dictate that a company provide for
non-essential prescription medications.”
================
I thought I was going to be able to find a loophole……some thought…..to invalidate at least some part of that line of thought the Letter raised.

I can’t.

She is right. No one is forced to work for Hobby Lobby anymore than anyone is forced to work for Walmart or McDonald’s.

If you don’t like the pay or the benefits……it’s a free country. Try to find a job where they pay you what you want to be paid and where they extend to you the benefits you want.

While Hobby Lobby can not discriminate against anyone who wants to shop there or apply for a job there…….there is NOTHING that FORCES ANYONE to either shop there or work there.

Again, the issue seems to be whether or not The Government can FORCE a Business to provide a product/service that does NOT provide a “health advantage” to ALL living humans at whatever stage of life they are at.

One can make a moral, ethical, and legal argument for the providing of prenatal care……one that provides a health advantage for both the mother and the child.

One can NOT, however, make the same moral, ethical, and “legal” argument for providing……contraceptives or abortions…….that could and does have an ADVERSE effect on the life of a living human life in the early stages of development.

And just because someone may have the “legal right” to buy something that may be “legal” does NOT automatically – and ethically and morally – translate into a “legal right” to be able to FORCE someone else into PAYING FOR IT.

If someone wants a “legal abortion”……they pay for it. They do NOT have the “right” to force others to pay for a procedure that obviously has adverse and dire consequences on an innocent living human life.

If someone wants to utilize “legal” products such as condoms, contraceptives, alcohol, marijuana, adult magazines and films……..they pay for those things themselves. They do NOT have the “right” to force others to pay for things that are basically for “entertainment” purposes as opposed to providing a real and actual health benefit.

emw12

If Hobby Lobby wants to do business in America, they need to follow the law, they don’t get to pick and choose what laws to follow and what they don’t follow.

denverharry

The important point that no one seems to understand is that you do not have to shop at Hobby Lobby. Withholding your economic support for corporations with policies and practices that you disagree with is the best means for voicing your discontent. Encouraging others to forego doing business with these corporations will help hasten the demise of such enterprises. You don’t need Hobby Lobby but Hobby Lobby needs you.

kelcy

Which is exactly what I have done since this issue became publicly known. Medical is part of the entire pay package which the employees indirectly pay for by having less salary in lieu of the “benefits” which for the businesses help reduce their tax benefits. They are most definitely Not giving anything away. Therefore, the health insurance coverage is none of their (HLs) gd business. Based on their personal interpretation of the bible then there are a whole lot of things that are covered in health insurance that they could say they do not want in “their” insurance packages…..not the least of which are any number of the reproductive health needs (vasectomies, tubal ligation’s, etc).

Actually, HL had already lost quite a bit of my business years ago because of the closed on Sunday bit. Many people (women included) that work weekdays do their shopping on Saturdays and Sundays. I am no different. I shifted over to Joann’s and Michael’s and relegated Hobby Lobby to the store of last resort for inexpensive decor items. Today I can pretty much get those same items at Garden Ridge (and actually much more). Have to say that their lack of sufficient cashiers did not help their case.

peterpi

And if a particular Joann’s or Michael’s does want to close on Sundays, they simply state on the notice of their business hours, “closed Sundays”. No preachy self-justification.

holyreality

Corporate religious rights is an oxymoron.

Corporations are a souless entity, how can a souless entity even have religion?

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